Home Office

Crime Prevention

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to (a) reduce and (b) prevent alcohol-related crime as the night-time economy reopens after the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Kit Malthouse: The number of violent incidents when the offender was perceived to be under the influence of alcohol has fallen by 44% over the last decade, from 999,000 incidents in 2007/08 to 561,000 incidents in 2017/18. The police and other local agencies have been doing an excellent job of reducing and preventing alcohol related crime and we are confident that this will continue as the night-time economy reopens. The Government therefore does not believe that any special measures are required to reduce and prevent alcohol-related crime with the re-opening of the night time economy.

Department of Health and Social Care

Hospitals: Protective Clothing

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS England supplied personal protective (a) clothing and (b) equipment to hospitals prior to the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Prior to the current crisis, demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) by National Health Service trusts was partly serviced by NHS Supply Chain (SCCL Ltd, a company owned by the Department) and partly through direct buying by NHS trusts themselves, usually through wholesalers. Other health and social care organisations were responsible for sourcing their own PPE, for example through wholesalers or directly from suppliers.

Health Services: Protective Clothing

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what personal protective equipment has been distributed to dietitians in the UK.

Jo Churchill: Everybody working on the front line, including dietitians and other professions, deserves to have the equipment they need to do their job safely and the Government is working night and day to make that happen.Having begun with a supply chain designed to accommodate delivery to 226 National Health Service trusts, we are now providing essential personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies to 58,000 different settings, including care homes, hospices and community care organisations.Since 25 February, we have delivered over 2.3 billion items of PPE across the health and social care system within England.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advice that the public should wear a homemade cloth face covering outside the home where it is difficult to maintain social distancing.

Jo Churchill: Since 11 May, we have advised people to wear face coverings in enclosed spaces where they cannot easily social distance and might come into contact with people they do not normally meet, and from Friday 24 July, members of the public must wear a face covering when visiting a shop or supermarket in England. In addition, the Government is running a major proactive communications campaign on face coverings to alert the public where they are now required to wear face coverings and educate the public on how to correctly wear one. United Kingdom advice on face covering follows advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies. As always, we are committed to following the evidence and will keep reviewing evidence from around the world and update our position as and when we need to.

NHS: Protective Clothing

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that when possible the NHS procures personal protective equipment from local small and medium-sized enterprises.

Jo Churchill: Lord Deighton is leading the Government efforts of British industry to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) for the health and social care sectors. We have identified opportunities and sourced new supply channels for materials to make PPE at pace, enabling new manufacturing to commence. The Government is also working to support the scale-up of engineering efforts for small companies capable of contributing to supplies.More than 30 deals have been struck with companies, including several small and medium enterprises, to manufacture and deliver PPE in the United Kingdom. We are also working with over 175 new suppliers to deliver at the scale and pace the UK requires. Around 20% of all PPE will be manufactured in the UK by the end of the year.

Ophthalmic Services: Coronavirus

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish guidance on the re-opening of optician practices for the provision of routine appointments as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Jo Churchill: NHS England and NHS Improvement issued a letter and Standard Operating Procedure to the profession on 17 June setting out that practices are able to resume National Health Service eye care services where practices have the relevant infection protection control and personal protective equipment in place. Decisions on when to reopen for private sight tests and services are a matter for the individual optician. Our understanding is that most high street opticians have now reopened for private and NHS care.NHS England and NHS Improvement’s published guidance can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care/optical-setting/

NHS Supply Chain: Runcorn

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons the proposed visit on 25 March 2020 by the Minister for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care to the Runcorn Regional NHS Distribution Centre was cancelled.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 22 June 2020



I visited Rugby National Distribution centre, run by NHS Supply Chain, on 25 March 2020. Rugby was finalised as the location for the visit, as it was better placed than the Runcorn Regional NHS Distribution Centre to accommodate visitors given the significant volumes of personal protective equipment items products being ordered by the National Health Service at that time.

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to Question 39009 tabled on 22 April 2020 by the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Question 60780 submitted on 17 June 2020, when he plans to respond to Question 39009 tabled on 22 April 2020 by the hon. Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston.

Jo Churchill: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 17 July to Question 39009.

Protective Clothing: Public Transport

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the evidential basis for the Government's decision (a) to require passengers to wear face coverings on public transport and (b) not to extend that requirement to customers in shops.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 29 June 2020



The Government has always been clear that its highest priority in managing this national crisis is protecting the public and the National Health Service. On 15 June, the Government website published clear guidance on passengers wearing mandatory face coverings when travelling on public transport in England. The advice details the evidential basis for requiring passengers to wear face masks on transport, and broadly states that there is strong evidence suggesting that social distancing, hand hygiene and isolation measures offer the best protection from the spread of the disease. From Friday 24 July, members of the public must wear a face covering when visiting a shop or supermarket. Guidance on this was published on 14 July.

Pancreatic Cancer: Health Services

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people (a) shielding and (b) self-isolating with pancreatic cancer are provided adequate (i) support and (ii) information on (A) symptom management, (B) nutritional advice, (C) psychological support in relation treatment and post-treatment recovery and (D)  palliative care.

Jo Churchill: Support and information for all cancer patients in England is provided through four key personalised care interventions:- Personalised care and support planning based on holistic needs assessments;- Health and wellbeing information and support (including nutritional advice and psychological support);- End of treatment summaries, that provide symptom management information; and- A Cancer Care Review with their general practitioner.During the COVID-19 pandemic, all personalised care and support should continue by telephone, video, online or by post if face-to-face appointments and group sessions have not been possible. As set out in the NHS Long Term Plan, these interventions will be implemented where appropriate for every person diagnosed with cancer by 2021.

Prescription Drugs: Addictions

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish the strategy on addiction; and when a 24-hour helpline for patients needing support for dependence on prescribed medicines will be created.

Jo Churchill: Due to the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic on departmental resources, the Addiction Strategy is likely to be published early next year. The development of a time-limited national helpline and associated website was recommended in Public Health England’s review of dependency-forming prescription medicines, published in September 2019. The Department of Health and Social Care is working with NHS England and NHS Improvement to oversee the implementation of the relevant recommendations of the review. This includes considering a number of evidence-based interventions to support patients and reduce dependency on prescription medicines, with an initial focus on opioids. The second part of a major independent review by Professor Dame Carol Black into the misuse of illegal drugs in England was launched on 2 July. The Review findings will inform the development of the Strategy.

Dental Services: Laboratories

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will issue guidance to dental practices to settle dental laboratory accounts on receipt of NHS contract payments.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support dental laboratories during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 02 July 2020



Dentists holding contracts with NHS England and NHS Improvement have continued to receive their full contract value, paid as usual in monthly equal instalments, throughout the pandemic period. The contract value includes expenses. Dentists contract separately with dental suppliers, including laboratories, for the materials and other supplies they need. Paying for supplies provided is a matter for the individual practice, and if there is failure to pay, the same legal recourse as with any other unpaid debt.The National Health Service has no standing contractual relationship with laboratories or other dental suppliers and support for the industry throughout the pandemic has come, as with other businesses, through the wide range of financial schemes and help offered by the HM Treasury. Dental laboratories have the same access to this support as other businesses do.

Cancer: Health Services

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to publish its plans for cancer services to enable people living with cancer to receive necessary treatment and care.

Jo Churchill: On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued further guidance to NHS cancer services on the second phase of the NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services. The states that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide these essential services.This includes focussing on reducing the number of over 62-day waiters on cancer pathways, particularly rescheduling diagnostic procedures or treatment for those who have had their care delayed by the pandemic.

Breast Cancer: Health Services

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the NHS is taking to reschedule breast screening appointments that were cancelled as a result of covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Where local breast cancer screening providers took the decision to postpone screening appointments, the National Health Service is now working with them to ensure services are restored as soon and as safely as possible.Screening services are already urgently working to prioritise individuals who are at high risk of breast cancer and guidance has been issued to local teams to help to manage this.As always, women should contact their general practitioner as soon as possible if they have any concerns.

Breast Cancer: Health Services

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to ensure that NHS breast screening units are adequately resourced to manage the backlog of appointments that have accrued during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: The National Health Service is working with Public Health England to prioritise individuals most at risk of breast cancer and make best use of the capacity available in the system. This includes working on a tool which will enable local providers to model capacity against demand for breast screening and identify where targeted actions are needed to increase the availability of and access to appointments.In addition, funding has been made available to local teams to adapt mobile breast screening units so that appointments can go ahead safely.

Dental Services: Coronavirus

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of patients that accessed emergency dental service during the covid-19 lockdown.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of patients that will require dental treatment in the next six months; and what the average number of patients requiring dental treatment was in each of the last five years.

Jo Churchill: Data is not currently available on the number of patients that accessed emergency dental services during the COVID-19 lockdown. Data is collected in the format requested on the number of patients requiring dental treatment. Data is collected on the number of patients see by a National Health Service dentist in, for adults, a 24-month period and, for children, a 12 month period. This data is published every six months. The latest data for the period ending 31 December 2019 is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-dental-statistics/2019-20-biannual-reportNHS England and NHS Improvement are responsible for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet local need and as such are responsible for assessments of need. NHS England and NHS Improvement announced on 28 May that NHS dentistry outside urgent care centres would begin to restart from 8 June with the aim of increasing levels of service as fast as is compatible with maximising safety. The letter provided guidance on prioritisation of services to meet need. The letter can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-ontent/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/Urgent-dental-care-letter-28-May.pdf

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer Question 37887, on Coronavirus, tabled on 20 April 2020 by the hon. Member for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow .

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 06 July 2020



I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 21 July to Question 37887.

Dental Services: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that dental practices are able to re-open for routine appointments as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what procedures dentists are prohibited from carrying out under existing covid-19 guidance; and when those procedures will be permitted to be resumed.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 06 July 2020



Dental practices have been able to open for face to face National Health Service care, including routine care, from 8 June. Decisions on when to reopen for private care are a matter for the practice concerned. The guidance from NHS England and NHS Improvement to NHS contract holders was clear that the pace of the restart should be only as fast as possible compatible with maximizing safety for patients and dental staff.A copy of the letter that was published can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-ontent/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/Urgent-dental-care-letter-28-May.pdfThere are also currently over 600 urgent dental centres which remain open across England to ensure patients can continue to have access to urgent treatment while practices gradually restart a full range of care. No treatment is prohibited. From 8 June dentists have been free to restart the full range of dentistry as far as they believe they can safely deliver this following Public Health England guidance on infection protection control procedures and appropriate levels of personal protective equipment.

Complementary Medicine: Coronavirus

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timescale is for reopening (a) alternative and (b) complementary medicine practices during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 07 July 2020



Alternative and complementary medicine services in England reopened from Monday 13 July 2020, subject to them following the COVID-secure guidelines.

Vaccination

Anthony Mangnall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve vaccination rates in areas of the UK where they are below the national average.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England and NHS England and NHS Improvement are undertaking a range of actions to improve vaccination coverage across all the routine immunisation programmes in England. This includes targeted initiatives where rates are below the national average, informed by data that identifies underserved populations, as well as improvements being rolled out nationally, such as improved access to appointments, better communication with the public, and additional training for healthcare professionals.

Dental Services: Coronavirus

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for dental practices restart routine, non-urgent treatment as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Jo Churchill: Dental practices have been able to open for face to face National Health Service care, including routine care, from 8 June. Decisions on when to reopen for private care are a matter for the practice concerned. The guidance from NHS England and NHS Improvement to NHS contract holders was clear that the pace of the restart should be only as fast as possible compatible with maximizing safety for patients and dental staff. A copy of the letter that was published can be found at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-ontent/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/Urgent-dental-care-letter-28-May.pdf There are also currently over 600 urgent dental centres which remain open across England to ensure patients can continue to have access to urgent treatment while practices gradually restart a full range of care. Dentists are using clinical priority to decide which patients to see first and, where they have capacity, they are free to also restart routine non-urgent appointments.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the minimum volume of (a) hand sanitiser and (b) personal protective equipment that a private business must produce annually for his Department to include it in a supply chain.

Jo Churchill: In consideration as to whether a supplier and a product is added to the supply chain there is no single consideration such as volume. The supplier will be evaluated on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract.Although it is not practical to add a supplier into a national supply chain with very small volumes every consideration will be made to the volumes which can immediately be provided and any increase over time.

Ayanda Capital: Protective Clothing

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what experience Ayanda Capital had in procuring personal protective equipment prior to the decision to include it in his Department's supply chains.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) discussions and (b) other communication Ministers and advisers have had with Ayanda Capital.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 13 July 2020



Guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to COVID-19 was published on 18 March at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0120-responding-to-covid-19Authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015.Over 1,000 contracts have been awarded to suppliers for COVID-19 related work, the majority through a direct award including that for Ayanda Capital Ltd. There is no single consideration such as previous experience as to whether a supplier is added to the supply chain. The supplier will be evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. Contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with Departmental terms and conditions.

Dental Services: Mothers

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for extending maternity exemption certificates for dental services to new mothers during the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: There are no plans to extend the existing charges exemption for pregnant women and those who have given birth in the last 12 months due to the pandemic.Urgent dental care was available through the peak pandemic period via urgent dental centres and all dental practices providing NHS services were able to restart face to face care from 8 June.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what procurement procedures were undertaken prior to personal protection equipment contracts being awarded to (a) Aventis Solutions and (b) Ayanda Capital Ltd.

Jo Churchill: Guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to coronavirus was published on 18 March at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0120-responding-to-covid-19Authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015Over 1,000 contracts have been awarded to suppliers for COVID-19 related work, the majority through a direct award, including those for Ayanda Capital Ltd and Aventis Solutions. There is no single consideration such as previous experience as to whether a supplier is added to the supply chain. The supplier will be evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. Contracts are awarded by the appropriate Departmental accounting officer in line with Departmental terms and conditions.

Dental Services: Protective Clothing

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2020 to Question 62541 on protective clothing: coronavirus, whether that figure also includes items supplied to dental practices.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 13 July 2020



The figure provided in response to Question 62541 was for general practitioners located in England only. This figure does not include dental practices.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to require people to wear masks in (a) shopping malls and (b) other public indoor spaces.

Jo Churchill: From Friday 24 July, members of the public must wear a face covering when visiting a shop or supermarket. Guidance on this was published on 14 July. For other public indoor spaces, the Government already advises people to wear face coverings in enclosed spaces where they cannot easily social distance and where they come into contact with people they do not normally meet.The Government continually reviews and refines its advice on face coverings, led by the latest scientific evidence and advice provided to us.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Allan Dorans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, should a vaccine for covid-19 become available, will it be (a) optional, (b) recommended or (c) compulsory for the general public; whether (i) the elderly, (ii) people with certain health conditions and (iii) other specific groups will be prioritised; and whether unvaccinated people are likely to be excluded from (A) flying, (B) accessing healthcare and (C) other activities.

Jo Churchill: It is vital that a significant proportion of people who are offered take up a COVID-19 vaccine in order to protect themselves as well as other vulnerable individuals. However, there are no plans at present for a COVID-19 vaccine to be mandatory as the Government operates a system of informed consent for vaccinations.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will provide advice on clinical prioritisation based on the best available clinical, modelling and epidemiological data. This will depend on the properties of the vaccine, those most at need (including health and care workers) and the unique medical circumstances of individuals.Whilst the pandemic is ongoing, no travel is risk free. Advice on air travel will remain under constant review to take into account the latest situation in each country. Healthcare will remain accessible to all and there are no plans to exclude unvaccinated individuals from key services or activities.

Public Health: Public Bodies

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many public bodies responsible for public health there (a) are in 2020 and (b) were in 2010.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 14 July 2020



In 2010, 152 primary care trusts were responsible for commissioning services to improve the health of the population and the Health Protection Agency, a special health authority, was responsible for providing an integrated approach to protecting United Kingdom public health. Ten strategic health authorities had strategic supervision over the primary care trusts. In addition, there were a number of other specialist organisations responsible for specific aspects of public health delivery and data. Unitary and upper-tier local authorities had responsibilities under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984.On 1 April 2013, Public Health England (PHE) was established as an executive agency of the Department, under powers and duties conferred on the Secretary of State for Health by the Health and Social Care Act 2012. PHE brought together staff and functions from over 70 organisations including the Health Protection Agency, the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, National Health Service bodies, public health observatories, the National Cancer Intelligence Network, the Department and other organisations.Also on 1 April 2013, unitary and upper tier local authorities – currently 152 in number – were given statutory responsibility for local health improvement, in addition to their pre-existing public health responsibilities. Primary care trusts and strategic health authorities were abolished in 2013.NHS England currently exercises specified national public health functions under a statutory delegation from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Protective Clothing: Contracts for Services

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many competitive tenders were issued for the supply of personal protective equipment between 1 March and 30 June 2020.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 14 July 2020



Guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to COVID-19 was published on 18 March at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0120-responding-to-covid-19Authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015.Over 1,000 contracts have been awarded to suppliers for COVID-19 related work, the majority through a direct award, i.e. which does not involve a competitive tender. The supplier will be evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many items of personal protective equipment have been delivered as part of Government's Clipper scheme since 1 May 2020.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



In partnership with the e-commerce industry, we designed a new online portal to help primary care and small social care providers who have been under-represented in terms of access to wholesalers. We have now invited over 21,000 general practitioners and small adult social care providers to register and order through the Clipper scheme, also known as the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Portal.As of Wednesday 15 July, approximately 28 million items of PPE have been delivered via the PPE Portal, with nearly 40,000 total orders having been made.

Drugs: Expenditure

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the saving to the public purse has been since over the counter medicines were taken off the prescription list in 2018.

Jo Churchill: In March 2018, NHS England and NHS Improvement and NHS Clinical Commissioners published ‘Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care: Guidance for Clinical Commissioning Groups’, available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/conditions-for-which-over-the-counter-items-should-not-routinely-be-prescribed-in-primary-care-guidance-for-ccgs/Since publication, there has been a reduction in spend of £32 million on over the counter items. This reduction includes spending on over the counter items for conditions that are self-limiting and conditions which lend themselves to self-care, as well as vitamins, minerals and probiotics.This estimate is correct as at 10 July 2020. It should be noted that the list of over the counter products is updated as new products become available.

Dental Services: Mothers

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to extend the 12 month duration of the maternity exemption certificate for dental care for new mothers who were unable to access dental treatment during the covid-19 lockdown.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



There are no plans to extend the existing charges exemption for pregnant women and those who have given birth in the last 12 months due to the pandemic.Urgent dental care was available through the peak pandemic period via urgent dental centres and all dental practices providing NHS services were able to restart face to face care from 8 June.

Diabetes: Medical Treatments

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2020 to Question 52076 on Diabetes: Medical Treatments, if he will make it his policy to ensure transparency in prescribing data in formularies in both (a) community pharmacies and (b) other settings.

Jo Churchill: The Government is committed to transparency in prescribing data and there are a variety of processes used to monitor prescribing patterns and variation in the prescribing of technologies in both prescribing in the community and hospital settings for people with diabetes.The NHS Business Services Authority operates an Open Data Portal on their website which is available for public use to enable interested stakeholders to access prescribing data. Information is also publicly available at the following link:https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/open-data-portal-odp

Protective Clothing: Local Government

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 49702 on Protective Clothing: Local Government, how many items of personal protective have been delivered through the PPE Portal each week since April 1st 2020.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



Week by week data is not available.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse has been of procuring personal protective equipment during the covid-19 outbreak; how many items of each type of equipment has been procured; and what proportion of that equipment has been sourced (a) in the UK and (b) from overseas.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



To date contracts worth approximately £9 billion have been awarded for personal protective equipment (PPE). The value is based on purchase orders raised which still have to be validated.Internationally, orders for over 30.8 billion items of PPE have been raised, including 7,444 ventilators, 557 million gowns; over 8.1 billion masks; 1.4 billion items of face protection; 13.7 billion gloves and 6.9 billion aprons (purchase order stats as of 10 July), with thanks to joint working across the Department for International Trade, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department of Health and Social Care and Cabinet Office.

Protective Clothing: Contracts

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contracts to supply personal protective equipment have been awarded to companies with no experience in supplying it.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many contracts to source personal protective equipment from (a) the UK and (b) overseas have been awarded to companies with no previous commercial relationship with the public sector.

Jo Churchill: Guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to COVID-19 was published on 18 March at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0120-responding-to-covid-19Authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015.Over 1,000 contracts have been awarded to suppliers for COVID-19 related work, the majority through a direct award. There is no single consideration such as previous experience or where a company is based as to whether a supplier is added to the supply chain. The supplier will be evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. Contracts include clauses for contract management to assess performance and value for money throughout the lifetime of the contract.

Dental Services: Coronavirus

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the financial recovery of mixed dental practices after the covid-19 outbreak.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



Dentists contract with NHS England and NHS Improvement to deliver a given annual level of service in return for an agreed contract value. NHS England and NHS Improvement made an early decision in late March to continue funding National Health Service dental contracts despite all routine dentistry being suspended. During the restart period which began on 8 June NHS England and NHS Improvement funding for NHS dental contracts continues and activity requirements continue to be suspended. Dental practices are therefore able to gradually restart while still receiving their full NHS funding.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has published on low-cost face coverings.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



In the context of the COVID-19 outbreak, a face covering is something which safely covers the nose and mouth. People can buy reusable or single-use face coverings and may also use a scarf, bandana, religious garment or hand-made cloth covering. Guidance on how to make a face covering have been published online at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering.In addition, the Government is running a major proactive communications campaign on face coverings to alert the public where they are now required to wear face coverings and educate the public on how to correctly wear one.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the scientific evidence used to inform his decision to end shielding for the extremely vulnerable during the covid-19 outbreak on 1 August 2020.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



The decision to pause shielding was taken based on the falling prevalence of the disease in the community. As of 22 June 2020, the infection rate in the community had fallen from 1 in 500 people to 1 in 1,700 people (Office for National Statistics COVID-19 Infection Survey). The rates of the virus are now low enough to allow for our advice to be carefully and safely eased and relax shielding.

Influenza: Vaccination

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward the start date of the winter Flu vaccine from the usual time of September.

Jo Churchill: It is not possible to bring forward the start date of the seasonal flu vaccination programme, due to the time it takes to produce the flu vaccine.The manufacturing of the flu vaccines is a complex biological process. In February, each year, the World Health Organization makes recommendations on the composition of the flu vaccine for the northern hemisphere based on its international surveillance programme. It takes six-eight months to manufacture the vaccines and following regulatory clearance they start to become available to service providers at the start of the flu season in September.

Health Services: Protective Clothing

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when wearing face coverings to attend (a) phlebotomy appointments, (b) GP surgeries, (c) outpatient clinics, (d) accident and emergency departments and (e) hospital wards will be made compulsory.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



The Government’s advice is to wear a face covering in enclosed spaces where social distancing may be difficult and where people come into contact with people they do not normally meet. On 15 June the Government announced that members of the public should wear a face covering when visiting the hospital.Each of these healthcare settings will have different risks and mitigations in place, and patients should follow the advice provided by health professionals appropriate to each setting. In addition, the Government is running a major proactive communications campaign on face coverings to alert the public where they are now required to wear face coverings and educate the public on how to correctly wear one.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to undertake a public health campaign on (a) the need to wear face masks (i) on public transport and (ii) in shops and (b) the correct way to wear them.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



The Government is running a major proactive communications campaign on face coverings to alert the public where they are now required to wear a face covering, who is exempt from wearing one, and how to wear one correctly. As part of this campaign, we are prioritising the need to communicate who is exempt from wearing one. We are actively engaging with stakeholders including disability charities to communicate new guidance to their members as well as highlighting this message to the general public on social media and via broadcasting opportunities. The Government is also communicating the key difference between face coverings and medical grade personal protective equipment, highlighting that face coverings protect others, they do not protect the wearer, and so other behaviours, such as social distancing and hand washing, are crucial.

Ovarian Cancer: Coronavirus

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the (a) diagnosis and treatment of and (b) support for women with ovarian cancer.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued a further letter of guidance to NHS cancer services on ‘Second phase of NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services’. The letter notes that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. The new guidance is based on three key principles: capacity, fairness and confidence. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide such services.

Public Places: Protective Clothing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on household finances of the new requirement to wear personal protective equipment in public spaces.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 21 July 2020



The Government’s guidance encourages people to make their own face covering at home, using readily available textiles that can be washed, and reused after every use. Guidance on how to make and wear face coverings is available on GOV.UK. In addition, the Government is running a major proactive communications campaign on face coverings to alert the public where they are now required to wear face coverings and educate the public on how to correctly wear one. Face coverings are not classified as personal protective equipment which is used in a limited number of settings to protect wearers against hazards and risks, such as surgical masks or respirators used in medical and industrial settings. We urge the public not to purchase medical or surgical masks as these must be reserved for health and social care workers who face the greatest risk.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to issue guidance on the hygiene and safety of reusable face masks.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 21 July 2020



The personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance published online has indicated that re-usable PPE can be used by health and social care workers. Advice on suitable decontamination arrangements should be obtained from the manufacturer, supplier or local infection control. This guidance relates to face masks used by health and social care workers.Guidance is published at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe

Dental Services: Protective Clothing

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure dental practices have an adequate supply of personal protective equipment.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



From Monday 8 June all National Health Service practices were able to start, at their own pace, seeing patients again once they have appropriate social distancing and other safety measures in place. Personal protective equipment for dentists is being made available through their business as usual wholesalers. We have also set up new distribution routes for dentistry to ensure continuity of supply for all urgent dental care centres and have placed them on the list of priority areas to receive supplies from local resilience forums.

Breastfeeding: Coronavirus

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date breastfeeding support groups will be permitted to restart as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



Breastfeeding support groups have continued to operate virtually throughout the restrictions. Premises such as community centres can reopen and should follow COVID-19 Secure guidelines. It is important to maintain social distancing and good hand hygiene in these circumstances. In addition, breastfeeding support provided by Public Health England online and over the phone has continued to run throughout the pandemic and is accessible to families, including the National Breastfeeding Helpline and Alexa’s Breastfeeding Friend. Start4Life provides information for families specifically about COVID-19 and breastfeeding. This can be accessed at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/baby/coronavirus-covid19-advice-for-parents/

Prescriptions

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what consultation has taken place with (a) patients and (b) patient organisations on GP surgeries ceasing to take repeat prescription orders over the telephone from 1 September 2020; and  what impact assessment has been undertaken to ensure that people without access to online services are still able to receive their prescription medication after that date.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



We are informed by NHS England and NHS Improvement that the National Health Service nationally has not cancelled any facility for repeat prescriptions. While ordering online has proven hugely popular because of the convenience and ease, we know this will not be possible for everyone. National guidance is clear that every local practice must put in place a system for repeat prescriptions, which can include online and phone orders, to meet the needs of their own patients.

P14 Medical: Protective Clothing

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria were applied when awarding contracts to P14 Medical in Stroud for the supply of PPE equipment to the NHS; and whether that procurement was the subject of a competitive tender invitation.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



Guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to COVID-19 was published on 18 March at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0120-responding-to-covid-19Authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015.Over 1,000 contracts have been awarded by the Department to suppliers for Covid-19 related work, the majority through a direct award, i.e. without a competitive tender, including this contract for personal protective equipment (PPE) to P14 Medical. The supplier will have been evaluated by Departmental officials on their financial standing, compliance with minimum product specifications and ability to perform the contract. Contracts include clauses for contract management to assess performance and value for money throughout the lifetime of the contract.

Hepatitis: Disease Control

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to support meeting the target in line with the World Health Organization’s Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis of distributing 200 sterile syringe and needle sets each year for each person who inject drugs.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 21 July 2020



Local authorities are responsible for assessing local needs and commissioning drug prevention, treatment and harm reduction services to meet these needs. This includes providing needle and syringe programmes in their areas.Public Health England supports local authorities in their work of needs assessment and commissioning services by providing advice, guidance and data.

Hepatitis: Disease Control

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Public Health England’s 2019 report Shooting Up: Infections among people who inject drugs in the UK, what steps he is taking to implement its recommendation on reducing the number of new hepatitis C infections through improved harm reduction approaches.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 21 July 2020



The Public Health England (PHE) 2019 report ‘Shooting up’ suggests that harm reduction interventions for people who inject drugs, including access to sterile injecting equipment and effective drug dependence treatment, can prevent and control hepatitis C virus among this group Local authorities are responsible for assessing local drug needs and commissioning prevention, treatment and harm reduction services and interventions, which include needle exchange provision. NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with PHE to review the harm reduction activity that is currently available.

Coronavirus

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the correlation between health inequalities and (a) covid-19 death rates, (b) developing covid-19 complications and (c) contracting covid-19.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 21 July 2020



On 2 June 2020, Public Health England (PHE) published a report on disparities in risks and outcomes of COVID-19. This can be accessed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-review-of-disparities-in-risks-and-outcomesThe review presents findings based on surveillance data available to PHE at the time of its publication, including through linkage to broader health data sets.Outcomes reported include diagnosis rates for laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations, death rates for confirmed cases, death rates from all causes, excess mortality, and the risk of death among people with confirmed COVID-19.Diagnosis rates were based on laboratory confirmed cases under Pillar 1 testing. The majority of testing under this pillar has been offered to those in hospital with a medical need as well as National Health Service key workers, rather than the general population. Confirmed cases therefore represent the population of people with severe disease, rather than all of those who get infected.

Health: Local Government

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to support local authorities in implementing a health-in-all-policies approach.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 21 July 2020



Public Health England provides support to local authorities through its national and local health improvement teams and has published guidance and resources to support local authorities to adopt a health-in-all policies approach.

Health: Equality

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to bring forward a prevention White Paper with proposals for tackling health inequalities.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 21 July 2020



The Prevention Green Paper, ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’, consultation closed on 14 October 2019 and attracted over 1,600 responses. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the response has been delayed. We intend to publish the Government response in due course, but do not currently have plans to publish a White Paper on prevention.

Protective Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support UK manufacturers of personal protective equipment and reduce the UK's reliance on overseas producers.

Jo Churchill: The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of resilient supply chains to ensure the continued flow of essential items and keep global trade moving. We are looking at what steps we can take to ensure we have diverse supply chains in place, to avoid shortages in the event of a future crisis.We are building up United Kingdom manufacturing with signed contracts to manufacture over 3 billion items of personal protective equipment (PPE) through UK-based manufacturers, including facemasks, visors, gowns and aprons. Around 20% of all PPE will be manufactured in the UK by the end of the year.

Coronavirus: Protective Clothing

Sir Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the efficacy of routinely available, non-clinical face masks in preventing aerosol spread of viruses.

Jo Churchill: In June 2020 Public Health England conducted a rapid evidence review on the efficacy of different types of face coverings designed for use in community settings, and the effectiveness of face coverings to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV2 in the community.The review found evidence from eight laboratory studies that materials commonly used in non-medical masks such as cotton and polyester may block droplets with a filtering efficiency similar to medical masks when folded in two or three layers. This evidence was limited by variations in materials, study design and testing methods, and judged to be weak.The review identified evidence from epidemiological and modelling studies that mask wearing in the community may contribute to reducing the spread of COVID-19, but again the evidence was limited by study design and quality.‘Face coverings in the community and COVID-19: a rapid review’ is available to view at the following link:https://phe.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-retrieve-file.pl?id=5f043ca658db1188ffae74827fa650d9

Coronavirus: Food

Sir Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the role of food hygiene in spreading covid-19.

Jo Churchill: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has carried out a detailed risk assessment which considered the probability of food or food contact materials and surfaces being a source or transmission route for SARS-CoV-2. Their advice is that the overall probability that United Kingdom consumers will receive potentially infectious exposures of SARS-CoV-2 via the consumption of food or the handling of food contact materials or packaging is Very Low (“very rare but cannot be excluded”). Further risk assessments will be carried out as needed to inform FSA policy. Food businesses should continue to follow good food hygiene standards. The full qualitative risk assessment has been published on the FSA’s website at the following link: https://www.food.gov.uk/research/research-projects/qualitative-risk-assessment-on-the-risk-of-food-or-food-contact-materials-as-a-transmission-route-for-sars-cov-2

Protective Clothing: Shops

Sir Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the criteria according to which the legal requirement to wear face masks in retail settings will be ended; and how frequently a review of that policy will take place.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 22 July 2020



As of Friday 24 July, members of the public must wear a face covering when visiting a shop or supermarket in England.In addition, the Government is running a major proactive communications campaign on face coverings to alert the public where they are now required to wear face coverings and educate the public on how to correctly wear one.The Government will keep the regulations under review and will continue assessing if measures need to be put in place for other settings going forward.

Coronavirus: Employment

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether people who are extremely clinically vulnerable are expected to return to work on 1 August 2020 if their employment routinely involves visiting other workplaces or residences.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 22 July 2020



All employers have been asked to work with the Government to ease the transition back to a more normal way of life for their clinically extremely vulnerable employees. Employers and employees should start having these conversations as early as possible before the guidance is changed on 1 August.At this time, the Government does not advise clinically extremely vulnerable individuals to attend their place of work if this requires them to leave their home. From 1 August those shielding who are unable to work from home but can work on site, should do so, provided the business is COVID-safe. For those returning to work, employers should encourage staff to remain on-site and, when not possible, to maintain social distancing while off-site.

Protective Clothing: Procurement

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, from which countries of origin the NHS imports personal protective equipment; and what due diligence checks are carried out to ensure the supply chain for those products complies with international law.

Jo Churchill: The Government is working around the clock to obtain personal protective equipment (PPE) and get the vital equipment and protection we need to the frontline. We have set up a cross-Government PPE sourcing unit to secure new supply lines from across the world and published rigorous standards against which we will buy. We have sourced and received medical supplies from a range of countries, including: China, Malaysia, Thailand, US, Canada, Germany, South Africa, and Turkey Our procurement process abides by strict quality control measures, often including the physical checking of stock and proof that the equipment conforms to stringent safety regulations. In our Supplier Code of Conduct it states that suppliers shall comply with all laws applicable to its business.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to to the correspondence from the hon. Member for West Lancashire of 20 March 2020 on UV lighting and killing flue and other viruses in public places.

Jo Churchill: We have no record of receiving the letter of 20 March 2020. However, if the hon. Member resends the letter to the Department, we will endeavour to respond as soon as possible.